Ace of Spades vs Queen of Hearts
by saiyukij
Summary: AU; After disappearing for a year Rogue comes back to Bayville only to be kidnapped by her foster mother. She is then found by a rampling merc, a flirty cajun, and a somber logan. She holds the key to defeating the greatest threat of all time but first she has to get the xmen back together. Rated M for mature content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all! I am a huge Romy fan as many people are but this story idea has been swarming in my mind for about a year and I decided that I just had to get it out. This is only my second fanfiction, I have not finished my first yet, it is a work in progress but I wanted to get this one started. Please be kind and review, constructive criticism is welcome but it has to be polite and constructive. If I think you are being disrespectful I will delete your review. Thank you for reading and please review!**

**A/N 2: Rated M for Language and mature content. This is a very very very AU Romy story, you have been warned so do NOT send me a pm or review lecturing me on Romy history, I already know that's why I am telling you this story is AU. There will be some surprises and I am pretty much combining the Comicverse, the movieverse, and the evolutionverse in this fan fiction. Also, I plan to have a movie/book quote in each chapter, there will be a note beside it, and anyone who can guess which movie/book the quote is from will get a special shout out! =)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters but I would give my left leg to own Gambit.**

**Ace of Spades vs. Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 1**

I awoke to the sound of voices whispering slightly to my left, they had the sound of urgency and worry. Opening my eyes slowly I tilted my head in an attempt to hear them clearly. My eyes can barely make out their shadows; there is a large group near some trees all huddling together. Their voices are gruff and I know that most if not all of them are men.

A sharp pain in my neck makes me groan quietly as I try to sit up; I cannot remember how I got here or what is going on. _Come on Rogue, pain can be controlled you just disconnect it (QUOTE). _My mind feels groggy and my eyelids feel very heavy, like I had been sleeping for days. I sat pondering what was happening when the group suddenly quiets as an aircraft flies over head with a scream and once it was in the distance the group began talking again.

_I wonder why they quit talking when the aircraft was over us. Aircraft? Aircraft! _My mind fights the fog that inhabits it as I struggle to recall what happened on the aircraft Mystique had held me captive on. _Ok, ok I remember Carol dying, the super strength and flying through the sky but how the hell did I get here?_

I slowly stand up on my shaking legs and promptly fall back on my ass with a loud thud. The gruff voices suddenly stop and I hear footsteps coming closer. I struggle to get up again when I feel a hard hand on my shoulders; I smack it away and look up at the man who dare put his hand on me. I am tense and ready to attack should the situation call for it, I am not weak and I will show these men they were picking the wrong mutant to mess with.

I struggle to get up again and the hard hand grips my arm again to help me but I push the offender away, smacking my hands upon his chests. To my surprise he flew a couple of feet before slamming into the dirt with a sickening crack. _Oh right, Carol. _

The man stood back up coughing and brushing the muck off of his backside; he held a hand out in front of him to keep another man from helping him up. I put my fists up in front of me and got into the pose my sensei had taught me many times over the year.

"Uh-oh Jimmy, I think you finally met someone who can kick your heavy metal ass." A voice said gleefully.

"Shut the hell up Wade." A gruff but very familiar voice growled. _No Way._ "God Damn Rogue is that any way to great and old friend?"

"Logan?!" I gasped in surprise; he was the last person I was expecting to see.

"Yeah, kid it's me. Now are you going to apologize for almost cracking my skull or are you going to look at me with your mouth wide open some more?"

"You startled me, I am out in the middle of god knows where, I can't remember how I got here and you want an apology for defending myself? Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" I retort back with my hands on my hips. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness enough that I can now barely make out his face. _Logan._

"No I haven't forgotten who I am talking to; I just wanted to hear that southern sass. It's been a year Rogue, where the hell have you been?" He said sarcastically. I felt a wave of defensiveness well up inside of my chest, but I push it back reminding myself that he had not seen what I had in my dream.

"You first, who are your friends and how did you find me?" I ask.

"OHHHHH! A southern belle and a mutant, can we keep her? Please? I'll feed her and take her out for walks and everything I promise! You guys won't even know she's here!" The gleeful voice spoke again.

"Wade SHUT IT!" Logan was yelling at a dark figure before turning back to me. "Well Rogue, we are in Phoenix, Arizona my team and I were completing a mission when all of the sudden Wade shouts and points up at the sky. I saw a figure falling quickly and hit the earth, we went to see who it was and we found you unconscious."

"Your team? The x-men?" I asked.

"No Rogue, the x-men disbanded a couple months after you left. I work with a group of mutants on a new team, Stryker's team."

**A/N: Confused? I would be surprised if you weren't, but no worries the reason rogue left, her dream, stryker's team members, and why logan is working with stryker will all be explained as the story developes. Pleases review let me know if you like it or if you think I should just stop this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! It's been a while since I updated, thank you so much for being patient with me. I want to thank everyone who put this story on their follows/favorites, it makes my heart melt to know people are enjoying the story that has been plaguing my mind for over a year. A HUGE thanks to Saiya-jin Queen, Tren Rogue, JasmineBella, and Remy's Muse for reviewing (I hope I spelled your names right). **

**Alright, that's enough of my monologue; let's get down to what you all really came here for.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own x-men or its affiliates.**

**Ace of Spades vs. Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 2**

"Stryker's team?" I stared dumbfounded at Logan for a couple of minutes while he stared back at me with a worried expression.

"Why the hell would you work for the man you have hated for so long? Were you not the one who told me he took your past away from you? Who hurt you, experimented on you? Wasn't he the one who broke into Xavier's mansion and hurt so many kids? Who takes mutants and experiments on them? How can you justify that to the xmen?" I growled at him, my feet had taken a mind of their own and I started pacing back and forth, the steam literally rolling off of my shoulders as I tried to calm myself.

"Now Rogue, I understand your upset but before this conversation goes any further you should know that the xmen disbanded six months ago. The Professor, he got hurt real bad and fell into a deep coma. Jean, I mean the phoenix, took over Jean's body and became out of control; she killed Scott and joined Magneto's team in an attempt to destroy the humans. She attacked the mansion one day and while the professor was trying to help her mentally she messed him up. Jean died and the professor is still in a coma, without their leadership the xmen didn't stand a chance up against The Acolytes. For the safety of the students, Storm decided to send them all back home. Strom and Beast are still trying to find a way to bring the Prof back but it doesn't look good." As he stood there explaining this to me, his voice was calm but I could hear the lingering pain behind it.

"That doesn't explain why you are working with Stryker." I reminded him.

"Well, with the xmen gone and storm taking care of the professor I thought this might be a good time to try and find out about my past. Turns out I used to work for Stryker back before I got my metal skeleton, I know he has done some bad in the past but this is a good team to be on now. The world isn't what it was one year ago Rogue, the xmen aren't kids in high school anymore worrying about getting picked on for their mutations or fearful of showing them off. It has become an all-out war between the humans and the mutants, and our team is doing the best we can behind the scenes to keep the peace." He took a step towards me and put his hands on my shoulders, I turned my face up and looked into the eyes of my friend, the only parental figure I had ever known and I saw the weariness in his eyes.

"Well, I have explained some things to you and I want answers to my own questions but first let me introduce you to Stryker's other men." He said

He turned me toward the group that I had been ignoring since I realized it was Logan I was speaking with when I awoke. I took a step closer to the group and their faces began to come into focus, there were nine of them including Logan and they all looked at me with amusement. I was slightly offended, I had never been someone that people laughed at, I struck fear into people with my Goth demeanor and angry attitude in high school and at Xavier's and although it had been months since I wore anything resembling Goth I would show them that my attitude was very much the same. I glared at them wordlessly and brought my chin up while crossing my arms in front of my chest, I saw a couple of them gather a slightly worried expression, and a couple others looked me up and down silently; appraising my threat level. There were two of them however who continued to look amused and it pissed me off.

"I believe you know Stryker" Logan said while gesturing to a familiar middle aged man with slightly graying hair. His face held more worry lines and wrinkles then it did when I had last seen him but his dark brown eyes still held the same calculating coldness.

"I believe you also know Sabertooth, real name is Victor, who I just recently found out is also my brother." I turned to look at the man whom I had seen Logan fight so many times on the battle field. His hair was shorter, it was cropped closely to his head and his brown eyes held uncertainty in them. I turned from him quickly and looked at the next man Logan gestured towards. He was the shortest in the group, but he looked fairly friendly. His big blue eyes held a worried look as I turned my glare onto him; I tried to soften my features slightly, feeling guilty for making him look so worried.

"This Is Chris Bradley, he may not look like much but he controls electricity and is a technopath. It becomes real handy when you are stuck in an elevator." I saw Bradley's face sour slightly when Logan insulted him and I grinned inside.

"This sourpuss right here is Agent Zero; he is an expert tracker and is an excellent shot." The cold looking Asian man looked extremely uninterested in anything that was going on and started rearranging the guns on his holster. The next man wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, he was dark skinned and looked at me contemplating before smiling and nodding a greeting. His name was John Wraith and according to Logan he was a teleporter, like Kurt.

The next man was humongous; he towered over me by at least three and a half feet and had arms the size of my head. Logan introduced him a Fred Dukes, and he had superhuman strength. The next two men were the ones I was most interested in, they were both staring at me with slight smiles on their face. The first one was a good looking man, with short cropped brown hair and dark brown eyes; his grin grew when he was me staring at his daggers. He unsheathed one and held it out to me, I looked at Logan uncertainly.

"This is Wade Wilson, he's a real smart ass but he is handy in a fight. Wade put that thing away she doesn't want to play with your sword." He growled at Wade.

"Awwww! Jimmy, you are no fun. If you can't give a child sharp objects to play with how are you supposed to entertain yourself?" Wade whined while sheathing his weapon. He crossed his arms and pouted silently before grinning widely and laughing like a maniac. I felt a slight unease and after staring curiously for a couple of seconds I turned to the last and final man.

His eyes were the first thing that caught my attention; they were a piercing black and red. They held an almost hypnotic quality and I felt myself blush when he smirked because I was staring. This man was gorgeous, he was at least six feet tall and had a lean build, there was a five o'clock shadow covering his jaw and his brown hair went down to his shoulders.

"It's nice to meet you Ma Cherie." He drawled.

"Oh, you're Cajun." I said surprised.

"Bon, ya know ya southern accents pretty well chere." He laughed.

I turned back to Logan quickly when I felt my face heat up again, he quirked an eyebrow at me and I cursed the fact that we were so close. I knew he could see my blush even in the dark and that he would grill me about it later, some things never change.

"All right Rogue, it's your turn to explain something. Why did you disappear?" Logan asked.

"Your right Logan, I do owe you an explanation. I had a dream, it wasn't the same dreams that I normally had, you know visions of other people's memories. This was so different and it was so life like I knew that I had a prediction of the future. I dreamt of a man, a very powerful man, he seemed ancient and he was coming to destroy us all. When I awoke I knew that we would all die at the hands of this man if something didn't happen to prevent it." As I told him of my dream, I pictured it in my mind. The man stood around all of my friends, the xmen and they were all dead. Surrounded by the destruction of the city and blood as the monster stood in the ruins and laughed.

"So you ran away to stay alive?" He sounded furious and betrayed.

"NO! I knew that if something didn't change we would all die, that something was me. If I did not learn to control my powers and grown stronger we would have no chance of survival. I ran away to find someone who could help me, to become their student and learn control and that is just what I did."

"Rogue, are you saying what I think your saying?" Logan asked quietly.

"Yes Logan, I can control my mutation." I said as I reached out and touched his hand, my skin coming into contact with his for the first time without the feeling of fear.

"Wow, Rogue that's great!" Logan said before he enveloped me into a hug. I gripped him back tightly and smiled into his shoulder. It felt nice to have someone besides sensei know that I had full control over my mutation after years of suffering.

Wade came closer to me as Logan and I parted, he gripped my shoulder lightly and looked into my eyes. "So you had a prediction of a great evil coming and defeating us all and you knew the only way to stop it was to push yourself to become stronger and control your mutation. What is it the uncle of that spider freak always says? 'With great power comes great responsibility,' Can I be your uncle Ben?"

I stared back at this strange and slightly fearsome man, and wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello All! Thank you all for adding this to your favorites/ follows, thank you all who reviewed. I am so happy that people are enjoying this story. I really enjoy writing it, finally! I promise to have more ROMY moments as the story develops. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter, don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the xmen of any of its affiliates.**

**Ace of Spades vs. Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 3**

The cheap motel room reeked of booze and urine; I cringed at the sight of the brown stained walls and tacky decor. Apparently, the best way to stay off radar from all the bad mutants that are chasing after me is to hide in half star motels on the way to Bayville.

While we weren't 100% positive that someone was actually chasing me, my loss of memory prevented that, we decided to be safe rather than sorry. Well, Logan decided more so than we did, but I trusted his judgment and the throbbing in my head prevented an argument. The two twin beds looked as repulsive as they probably smelled and I watched as Logan sat upon the one of the left. The group had split up into five pairs and I was partnered with Logan.

"We only have to hide out here for a couple of hours, just until its dark enough to go through town undetected." Logan said to me.

"Yeah because no one thinks a group of mutant soldiers, who look like they are all on steroids, traveling around town with a young teenage girl is suspicious." I said sarcastically.

"Cut the attitude kid and get some sleep, I know the beds are gross but sleep is more important. We need to be in peak condition if we are going to get to Bayville in a couple of days." He replied.

Logan waited for me to lie upon the other bed before turning off the lamp in between the beds; I heard the creaking of springs and knew he was laying down himself. I listened to his steady breathing and wished we had time to slow down and talk. I wanted to know everything that had happened in the time since I left and I felt a desire to reconnect with the only father figure I had. I shut my eyes tightly and listened to his steady breathing more intently trying to lull myself to sleep, within minutes I was out.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I jumped up from the bed, my hair disarrayed and in my face. Logan had his claws out and was headed to the door; I pushed my hair out of my face and tensed my muscles, preparing to fight if necessary. Logan threw the door open and there stood Gambit, looking pissed and tired with a few playing cards in his hand that were glowing an odd magenta color.

"Bout time y' got y'r asses out o' bed Mon Ami, we got ourselves a petite problem." He grunted in his Cajun accent.

Gambit took off to the right of the door and Logan motioned at me to follow before taking off himself, I followed Logan closely and could hear gunshots and explosions in the distance. They grew louder as we drew nearer to whatever it was causing the commotion. Logan looked back at me and yelled something, but it was too loud for me to hear him.

"WHAT?" I hollered back seconds before I was thrown to the side by something big and metal. Red was all I could see as I struggled to get up, but the giant metal thing was on top of me. I could hear Logan screaming my name in the distance but my ears weren't working as well as usual. I lay back down under the object, trying to gather my wits; I was starting to get angry.

_This is ridiculous! All I wanted to do was come back to Bayville, stop an apocalypse, and save my friends. Instead something happened to me that I can't remember, I end up in the middle of god knows where with some mutant muscle-man team, and stuck under a giant metal thingy! _

As I sat there, mulling over the unfortunate events that are my life, I felt my fingers pulse and my heart beat grow quicker. A heat traveled from my toes and radiated from my head and suddenly I felt like I could move the world, I heaved myself up by my hands and the once heavy metal crushing me felt as light as a feather. I gripped the edge of the metal with one hand and pushed it off me and stood up. I stretched my arms above my head and looked to see what it was that had been on top of me; it looked like a giant red hand. Confused I glanced over at Logan, who had made is way over to me, he stared at me with his mouth open and a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Are you trying to catch flies?" I asked him.

"How the hell did you do that?" He gasped.

"No idea, but I'm not complaining" I said. Logan still looked confused but he didn't press the matter, instead he turned to where a majority of the commotion was coming from. I followed his gaze and my eyes went wide. A little under half a mile away were four giant red robots, fighting them were the members of Stryker's team.

"Sentinels." Logan growled. One of the robot's head exploded and the pieces of shrapnel from its head went flying everywhere.

"YEAH! I AM DEADPOOL BABY!" Deadpool screamed as he jumped from the decending body of the beheaded robot.

Logan rushed forward to Deadpool and met him as he touched the ground. I followed him over and watched with great fascination as deadpool sheathed his sword.

"What the hell are those things?" I screamed at them both. I could feel my blood pulsing in my ears and I was bordering on hysterical. Never in my life had I seen anything like this, these robots were built for destruction, to me the red of their bodies may as well have been painted with blood.

"Those things, Roguey Baby, are called sentinels. S-E-N-T-I-N-E-L-S. Giant, ugly, go-bot things that were made to capture or in some cases kill mutants. Some people call them mutant hunters but that's too hard to scream when you're trying to warn other people. AH MUTANT HUNTER! It just doesn't have the same ring." Deadpool explained to me.

"Roguey Baby?" I growled. Deadpool ignored me to turn back to Logan.

"There's three more Jimmy, come on we have got to help the team. You're a team player aren't you Jim?"

"Wade, shut up and get going." Logan retorted, he turned to me and said "You should stay over here Rogue. We can take care of the sentinels, you need to take it easy."

"Yeah ok." I said.

Logan and Deadpool both took off toward one of the remaining sentinels; I looked around to try and see the other sentinels but could only see one. _I thought Deadpool said there were two more?_ I thought.

"Look out chere!" I heard someone scream before I was hit from behind and knocked to the ground. _Owww!Again?_ I opened my eyes, expecting to see another piece of robot on top of me but instead I saw bright red eyes staring back at me. _Gambit._

"Are you ok chere?" He asked me.

"I was until I got knocked to the ground by you, swamp rat." I groaned.

"Well, Cherie, it was ei'ter gettin' knocked to t' ground o' losin y' life." He said with a smirk. Gambit picked himself up and offered a hand out to me, I clasped his hand and he pulled me up.

"While moi wouldn't mind stayin on top of y' all night chere, I betta take care of that sentinel." He smirked before kissing my hand and letting it go and running toward the sentinel that was behind me. I watched as he lept up on the sentinels arm and climbed up to its head, he got a good grip on the sides of it and held on tight as it tried to shake him off. The sentinels head glowed magenta before Gambit let go and jumped off just as the sentinels head exploded.

Needless to say I was impressed and apparently it showed on my face because he looked incredibly smug as he walked back over to me grasped my shoulder. I glared at him and shrugged his hand off which made him chuckle and grin.

" y' pretty feisty mon river rat." He said.

"I'm not your anything, bayou boy." I glared.

"Known y' for a day chere, and already y' givin' moi a nickname. Let's watch the rest of the battle, hm?" He said.

I rolled my eyes and turned my body away from him and back towards the other fights, I was surprised to see Logan and Deadpool already headed towards us. They seemed to be arguing about something and Deadpool pushed his sword into Logan's face.

"Get that thing out of my face." Logan said to Deadpool in a threating tone.

"It's not in your face, it's in my hand." Deadpool retored.

"Well, get what's in your hand out of my face Wade." Logan gruffed. (QUOTE)

Deadpool cackled wildly before putting his weapon back in its sheath and running the rest of the way toward us. Deadpool stopped suddenly in front of me and stooped down to look me in the eyes. I couldn't see his eyes through his mask but I could feel his eyes.

"For a second there I thought you were a goner, lucky for you Gambit tackled you before the sentinel got you. Isn't that right sport?"

"Deadpool, get off me." I said.

"Awww! Don't be embarrassed, Gambit would tackle anything that moved. It's how he gets his jollies." Deadpool said in a sympathetic voice.

"Hey! Don' say that, it makes moi sound like a whore." Gambit exclaimed.

Deadpool let go of my shoulders and straightened back out before doubling over and laughing like a maniac.

**Thanks for reading! Also, if you are confused about anything let me know, I think I touched on all the major points but I may have left some out in all my excitement. If Gambit's accent bothers you let me know how I can improve it or if you would rather not have one at all. Don't forget to Review, they make my day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow! I am so happy that you guys are responding so well to this fanfiction. I really enjoy writing this piece, especially the deadpool scenes. I have a feeling you guys are going to love chapter 9 but I'm not going to tell you why just yet. Thank you all for your continued support, please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, the Xmen, or any affiliates.**

**Ace of Spades vs. Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 4**

"Ok, so explain, in more detail what exactly Sentinels are and why are they here!" I all but shouted at Logan.

"Well, Deadpool was right. They are mutant hunters of sorts; they were built by order of the government to police the mutant race. I don't think it will come as a great shock to you to hear Senator Kelly was the driving force behind the whole thing." Logan told me.

"No, I can safely say that doesn't surprise me at all." I snorted.

"Yeah, a lot of the mutants who get captured or jailed by the Sentinels are never seen again." Logan said mournfully.

"So that's why, whenever possible, we destroy as many of them as we can. As long as they are roaming the land mutants will never be safe." Stryker told me.

"Uh, that's not why I do it." Deadpool said.

"Shut up Wade," Sabertooth growled.

"No! Logan got to have his monologue, now it's my turn. Kid, the reason I kill the Sentinels is because it is…fun." Deadpool said in a monotone voice.

"That's great and inappropriate," I told him.

"You're just jealous of my awesome ninja skills, do not fret grasshopper! I can teach you everything I know." I shouted gleefully.

I rolled my eyes and looked at Logan who shrugged at me, after that we decided to carry on to Bayville. We avoided the main roads for a while, until Deadpool complained of his legs getting tired and asked Sabertooth to give him a piggy back ride. It was then that we decided to take a bus, Stryker said that the 3 A.M. bus drivers were probably used to weirdoes on their routes any way.

It only took two hours to get to Bayville, and surprisingly it was without incident; as long as I didn't count the fight between Deadpool and Gambit over who would win in a fight; Deadpool or Snake eyes.

I decided not to sleep on the bus even though Logan told me to before falling asleep himself; I was too frustrated to sleep. I desperately tried to recall what had happened to me, and how I ended up in the middle of nowhere but to no avail. I vaguely remembered a blonde named carol and a more familiar presence, but could not place my finger on in.

Once in Bayville and off the bus, I looked around at the town I knew so well. Nothing had changed, all the same restaurants and malls and parks. I followed the path I knew so well and thought back to my time in high school, the untouchable Goth; the freak of nature. I did NOT miss those days.

The guys followed behind me, chatting animatedly about absolutely nothing. It was not until we arrived in front of the mansion that I paid any attention to what was being said.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Children." Gambit read.

"Oh no, I shouldn't be here." Deadpool said loudly.

"Why's that?" I asked him, look at him dumbfounded.

"I'm not supposed to be within 200 feet of a school or Chuck E. Cheese." He sighed. (QUOTE)

I sat there staring at him as he jumped the fence, wondering what in the world he had done before I decided I did not want to know and shaking my head. I followed him over the fence before the fence opened automatically and I rolled my eyes.

I turned and saw Storm standing at the entry way to Xavier's mansion, looking at us with a small smile on her face. Logan approached her and gave her a hug and she smiled brightly, she regarded me warily before hugging me lightly.

"Rogue and Logan, this is a surprise. What brings you here?" She asked us while eyeing the men standing in a huddle behind us.

"It's a long story Ororo." Logan told her solemnly.

"Well you better come inside then. I will get you something to drink; you remember where the lounge is doing you?" She told Logan.

Storm brought a lot of refreshments for us all, and took a place next to me on the couch. She listened intently while Logan told her everything from what he had been doing to finding me, my dream, and what we had to do to get here. He followed up by introducing everyone to her; she regarded Stryker and Sabertooth with a cold look but greeted everyone else warmly.

Logan asked to speak with her privately and they disappeared, I sat there watching Duke and Deadpool arm wrestle. Stryker and Chris were talking quietly while Gambit and John cheered on Duke, Agent Zero started cleaning his guns, and I looked at Sabertooth only to find him staring at me. He grinned toothily and flexed his claws; I gave him a hard glare and straightened my shoulders before cracking my knuckles and smirking back.

Duke slammed Deadpool's hand onto the table, winning the match and the table cracked under the pressure. It was enough to distract my attention from Sabertooth and I scoffed when Deadpool crossed his arms over his chest and thumped down on the ground, back turned towards Duke.

I yawned before I stood, having the sudden impulse to get out of there; I was touching the door knob to the main entrance before a hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

"Where d' y' t'ink y' are goin, chere?" Gambits bright eyes bore down into mind.

"Out! Tell Logan I'll be back," I said simply while smacking his hand off me.

"Y' can't just go wanderin out t'ere by y'self, let mio go wit y'," He replied.

"I don't need a baby sitter," I growled.

"OH!OH! I wanna go! I wanna go!" Deadpool shouted behind Gambit.

"My Lord, fine you can both come with me." I said before turning back around and walking out the front door.

I did a good job of ignoring them both as we headed into town, I really had no reason to be here other than I just wanted to be. I missed this, just walking around the town I loved almost as much as the Mississippi. My first real family was here, my first father was here, my friends who accepted me despite my snarky attitude and defensive walls. I sighed in sadness and stopped before turning to face the two men who had been following me quietly.

They both grabbed an arm each and hauled me up in between them, carrying me forward.

"What are you doing?" I said while struggling.

"There are some men that have been following us for the last half mile." Gambit responded quietly.

I turned and tried to see who they were referring to, there were two of them and they were not being covert at all. Avalanche, Quicksilver, and Toad were all standing at the corner about a block away from us. When my eyes locked on them, Quicksilver disappeared before reappearing and kicking Gambit in the face.

Gambit let go of my arm in favor of clutching his face and I felt Deadpool move beside.

"Mon Dieu," Gambit groaned. Gambit grabbed a fist full of cards from his trench coat pocket and they started to glow an odd magenta color. He tossed a few at Quicksilver, which Quicksilver dodged, and they exploded on the ground.

Toad and Avalanche made their way over to us; I gagged as Toad spit a giant green Logy at Deadpool. The goo hit Deadpool in the chest, I felt my hair raise on the back of my neck as Deadpool looked form his soiled shirt, to Toad and then finally to his sword as he drew it.

_Minutes Later_

I sat there, the entire stone wall of a three story building lying on top of me, the fight had been quick. Deadpool had taunted Toad with his sword until Toad had nearly wet himself and Gambit had managed to explode a card close enough to Quicksilver that he was knocked into a tree.

Avalanche cornered me by the building, whose wall I was currently stuck under, and shook the ground until the entire wall fell. Deadpool and Gambit were currently in the middle of digging me out and were taking their sweet time doing it.

I felt the last of the rubble come off of me and my body was turned around till I was face up instead of face down. I kept my eyes closed because I was not quite ready to open them; my headache was starting back up with a vengeance.

"Wakey, Wakey Roguey. You can't die yet, if you were to die now this would be an incredibly short fanfiction and a lot of questions would go unanswered." Deadpool whispered as he shook me.

"Wade, what the hell are you talking about?" I whispered back and opened my eyes to look at him.

Deadpool giggled and thrust me up over his shoulder, firefighter style. I felt my head churn and was about to yell for him to put me down before I felt a second pair of hands on my back, dangerously close to my butt. I was then lifted off of Deadpool's shoulder and carried princess style by Gambit.

"Y' got a pretty big bump on d' head dere Cherie," He told me.

I groaned in response and wrapped my arms around his neck in an effort to ground myself. He smelled like bourbon, spices, and cigarette smoke; not the cheap bourbon either.

I was startled to discover I liked it.

**Thank You all so much for reading, please take the time to review; I would really appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well shucks, I just want to send a big thank you to all of you who have added this story to your alerts and favorites. It just makes me smile to know you are all enjoying this story as much as I am. I also want to thank those of you who reviewed; I appreciate the support and instruction.**

**That said I do want to take a second to respond to a review I received: I apologize for the grammar errors, sometimes my mind multitasks and I don't catch all the mistakes I should when I edit.**

**Now for the biggy; for those of you who are concerned that I am making Rogue look weak, I am. I am doing this on purpose for a couple of reasons. 1. She just fell out of the sky not too long ago and had something happen to her that she can't remember, she maybe one of the baddest ass mutants around but I still think she would be out of commission for a while. 2. She was portrayed as weak in the movies and in xmen evo, I wouldn't say her mutation is weak but she was portrayed as very insecure and unsure of her powers. Although she has full control of her powers here I feel like she would still be very unsure of herself and her abilities, but don't worry she won't stay that way for long. If that bothers any of you I hope you will still continue to read this fic either way.**

**Thank you all for reading, please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own.**

**Ace of Spades vs Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 5**

When we arrived back at Xavier's it was eerily quiet and made the hair on my neck stand on end. In the time I had spent with Stryker's team there was never a time when it was completely silent, I went searching for the men with Deadpool and Gambit traveling behind me. I could not look Gambit in the eyes ever since our "moment" on the way back, his smell was still fresh on my mind and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as we searched the rooms in the front wing of the mansion.

Coming up short I decided to travel upstairs, the two men continuing their raid on the rooms. I heard noise coming from the Proffesor's office and slowly opened the door and looking in before slamming it back shut. My mind's eye was on overload as I ran back down the stairs with Logan yelling my name behind me.

I spun around and looked at Logan, my mouth agape as I tried to say something, anything to make this moment less awkward. All I could do was picture Logan and Storm, lying on the Professor's table making out. Logan looked as befuddled as I did as he straightened his shirt and hair, his face was red and he kept clearing his throat and looking around wildly with wide eyes.

"Look, Rogue, what you saw me and Storm doing…it was a spur of the moment thing. I swear it hasn't happened before and it's just been so difficult for both of us since Jean died and I suppose I just wanted a little companionship and she was there and we were reminiscing…" He rambled before trailing off.

"Ok, gross. First of all, what you do with your time and your body is not my business. I understand it's been hard for you since Jean died because you loved her I totally get that. Second of all, did I mention gross? This is too much information; you're like the only father I have ever had and if you want to get your jig on with Storm that's fine. Just don't tell me about it." I blurted out, still mortified.

Logan looked like his head was about to explode and I felt another migraine coming on as the stairs behind me creaked and I looked back to see Gambit and Deadpool standing at the bottom step. Gambit was grinning like a fiend and Deadpool had his arms crossed on his chest with his head tilted to the side, I could only assume that Deadpool was grinning as widely as Gambit.

"What's goin on Mon Ami's?" Gambit chuckled.

"Mind your own God Damned business Lebeau." Logan growled, still wide eyed and red.

"OHHHHH! I get it now, Poor little Rougey caught Daddy in the buff. Have you not given her the birds and the bees talk yet Jimmy?" Deadpool said.

"WADE, I WAS NOT IN THE BUFF!" Logan yelled.

"Let's talk about something else, anything else, please." I begged.

"Aw, poor Cherie, would y' like Mio to give y' t' sex talk?" Gambit asked me.

I looked down at Gambit and saw his eyes travel up and down my form, I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I suppose I should feel disgusted, like he was a pervert but a part of me was immensely flattered. It had been a long time since anyone had flirted with me, usually men don't look at me twice when they discover my mutation. I wondered if Gambit would run away when he discovered what my skin could do, despite the fact that I had control I was still nervous about my own skin. How could I expect anyone else to be okay around it?

The expression on my face must have been anything but pleasant, once Gambit stopped trialing his eyes up and down my form he turned his attention to my face. His own expression was immediate concern and curiosity and his eyes searched mine intently but I looked away before he could decipher me and looked back up at Logan. Logan had been watching my exchange with Gambit apprehensively, he looked at me with meaning, like he saw something in our exchange that I hadn't.

"Where are the rest of the guys?" I asked him, brushing it off.

"Danger Room, why don't you take Gambit and Wade on down?" He told me before turning and walking back up the stairs.

"What's a danger room?"Deadpool asked me.

"A simulation room the Xmen used to train. It's really quiet advanced; you can adjust the intensity of the simulation to meet your training needs." I told him proudly.

I led them down to the lowest part of the mansion, it was all steal and sterile smelling, this wing of the mansion contained the danger room and the infirmary. It was necessary to keep it as clean as possible. I walked down the hall I knew so well and stopped in front of the danger room door, I keyed in my entry code and the door opened immediately. There were swears and groans as the simulation stopped.

"Well, here we are. You boys enjoy yourselves." I told them seriously.

"Y' ain't goin t' join us, chere?" Gambit asked.

"Not this time, Swamp Rat." I told him while placing my hands on my hips.

He grinned cheekily before grabbing my left hand off my hip and bringing it to his lips for a kiss. I stood stunned and he walked into the danger room, Deadpool stopped in front of me and pulled up his mask part way. The exposed skin around his mouth was intensely scarred and blotched but I didn't have much time to dwell on it before he grabbed the back of my head and planted a very wet kiss on my forehead. Deadpool pulled his mask down quickly and two finger saluted me before walking into the danger room.

I reentered my key code and the doors shut, the simulation once again running. I wiped my forehead on the sleeve of my shirt, trying to get the Deadpool drool off as I made my way back down the hall.

_Turn Right _

I stopped suddenly; this wasn't like the voices I usually heard in my head. It sounded echoed, like someone was speaking into an expanse of space.

_Turn Right_

I walked to the right and recognized the hall that led to the medical ward, I opened infirmary door and was greeted with the sight of Xavier. He was lying in white hospital garb, connected to tubes and monitors. I felt a deep pain in my heart at seeing the professor in such as state; the wise and compassionate man was just a shell.

_Come_

_Come closer_

Hesitantly, I walked forward until I was right beside his bed, I had the impulse to touch this man and rather than ignore the feeling I reached out and gripped his hand.

My mind was filled with a bright golden light and I felt like I was floating, I blinked and shielded my eyes trying to make out what I was seeing. A shadow fell over me and it didn't take long for my eyes to come into focus, Xavier was standing before me and he had a smile on his face.

"Confused? I would be surprised if you weren't." Xavier told me amused (QUOTE).

"What, where am I?" I gasped.

"Our bodies are still in the infirmary; our minds however are somewhere else entirely." He told me.

"Are we in your mind? Am I dreaming?" I asked him.

"Yes and no, this is not a dream. It is also not reality; this is the core of my mind Rouge. I have been waiting a long time to speak with you." Xavier told me gently.

**Thanks for reading, please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Dear loyal readers, I am deeply sorry I have not updated sooner. Just know that there were unforeseen circumstances that have kept me away but they have been resolved. I appreciate each and every one of you so much, without you I would not have continued this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, don't forget to give me feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own and I made no money off of this story.**

**Ace of Spades vs Queen of Hearts**

**Chapter 6**

Blinking back the stinging in my eyes, I took in the Professor fully, he looked better than I had ever seen him and I wondered if it was just an illusion in the mind.

"Alright, Professor, you got my attention and here I am. What do you want to talk about?" I asked him.

"For starters Rogue, Congratulations on your control, and I would like to apologize. I promised to help you gain control when you first arrived here and I let myself get distracted, focusing on other people and things and placing you and your needs in the very darkest corners of my conscious. I just want you to know that I never once took your sacrifices for granted." He told me solemnly.

"I was so afraid that you had given up on me, or that you didn't have the heart to tell me I would never be able to gain control." I told him quietly, for the life of me I could not figure out why I suddenly couldn't look him in the eyes.

"I always knew you had it in you Rogue, you just needed a little help. Now that I have said all of that, I have something graver to tell you. There are going to be things you learn on this journey Rogue, no longer will you have to turn over rocks to find the answers you desperately want. There will be tough decisions and few options, you will question everything you ever knew, every truth you have ever been told."

"That's a little vague Professor, can you elaborate?" I asked him puzzled.

"I'm afraid that I can't, you will have to figure out what I mean on your own. I wanted to tell you, I understand, and that you are not alone. I believe in you, and that as long as you make the choices based on what you believe is right, everything will be okay."

"That's a lot of pressure; I really don't think I can do this. I'm not a savior or a hero, Professor. I'm not like Jean or Scott; they were golden, like the sun. I'm dark and tainted, not hero material." I told him.

"You are right Rogue; you are not golden like the sun. You shine like the moon, filling the darkness with your presence, the only source of light in the darkest of times. A wounded warrior come to save others from the same fate, I believe in you. You can believe in yourself as well, start by getting rid of the barriers and embracing your control." The professor said with certainty.

"I will try Professor, is there anything I can do for you? Is there any way to release you from your mind? Storm said that you are in a coma, have been for a long time. If there is any way I can help you, I'll do anything." I told him, my resolve strengthening. If the professor believed in me, I would not let him down.

"The pieces in this puzzle are falling in the place, when the last piece completes the picture all will be well. I want to give you a parting gift before you go, close your eyes and clear your mind." He said before touching his hand to my temple.

I did as he asked and waited before I felt his hand leave my face and I opened my eyes in confusion. I was back in the hospital wing, next to the Professor's bed, his hand held tightly in mine.

"A parting gift?" I said aloud. Wondering what the Professor had given me, and if I would know what the gift when I found it.

Looking at the clock on the back wall I realized it was well past midnight, I had been here far longer than it had seemed. I placed his hand back on his bed delicately before making my way out of the wing and back towards my room, stopping on the way to search for anyone still awake but finding no one.

I slipped into the welcoming darkness of my room and laid down on my bed; sudden exhaustion making my eyes heavy and I fell asleep.

_I sat there staring at the immobile form of Carol Danvers, the bright eyed and cheery super heroine whom I had only known for a couple of weeks before I left. Her memories flooded my mind and I could see them clearly as they forced themselves through the drugged haze. _

_ Her memories passed quickly but her emotions hit me full force; fear, anger, and shame. I turned to glare at mystique, who stood there impassively clad in a full body suit, next to her was a man clad in a familiar outfit, his pale face and haughty dark eyes stared at me in astonishment._

_ The jolting of the plane we were on making the cuffs on my wrists jingle._

_ "What the hell did you do to ME?" I screamed at them._

_ "Rogue, I am doing what is best for you. You have to be stronger, you have to be better or you won't survive." She told me, I felt a surge of anger and the heat of hate._

_ "I HATE YOU!" I shrieked, the drugs in my system still not letting me think clearly._

_ "I am trying to do what is best for you Rogue!" She yelled back._

_ "By drugging and kidnapping me, and then forcing me to kill someone? She was innocent, and good, why would you do this?" I cried. _

_ "She needs another sedation," she told the man next to her._

_ He obeyed and filled a syringe with liquid before coming towards me slowly, I observed him quietly trying to come up with a way to get away. The needle of the syringe pierced the skin of my neck and I moaned in paid while I stared at the strange red markings on his forehead._

_ I felt and odd sense of heat and power spread through my body before I felt metal tearing beneath my finger tips and the wind on my face. Mystique screaming became deaf to the screaming wind in my ears._

Moaning, I opened my eyes and laid a hand to my throbbing forehead. I felt nausea and I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Forfeiting the contents of my stomach to the porcelain bowl, and squeezing my eyes shut.

"Nice gift Professor." I moaned in agony before gagging again.

A part of me was glad the Professor gave the memory back to me but another part was angry, the hate I felt for Mystique welling up inside me, and the shame for what I had involuntarily done to Carol causing me to sob after I had stopped gagging.

After crying for what seemed like hours, I decided to get some fresh air and made my way to the roof, my favorite spot at night.

I realized quickly that someone was already occupying my usual spot beneath the stars; the sight of Remy Lebeau greeted my slightly swollen eyes.

Instead of retreating back inside, I surprised myself by making my way towards him and taking a seat.

"What brings y' out 'ere in d' middle of d' night Cherie?" He asked me quietly.

"Bad memories," I croaked.

He turned to gaze at me, concern on his features, and he sat up before scooting closer to me. Hesitantly he placed his arm around me, somehow I knew that the gesture was innocent for Gambit and meant to comfort me. I tried desperately not to flinch away, conditioned to do so by five years of conditioning, and instead tensed slightly before relaxing into his warmth. I relished in the feeling of his skin on mine, closing my eyes and letting the feeling chase away the bad ones.

"I know all bout dem bad mem'ries chere, how dey can haunt y' day in n' day out, nev'r relentin." He told me softly.

"What's your power Gambit?" I asked, desperate to get the attention off of me, even though I found his concern touching.

"Moi? I make tings go boom. Can touch any object and blow it up." He told me, sounding incredibly proud of his mutation.

"Wat is y'r mutation Cherie?" He asked curiously.

"Promise you won't go running for the hills?" I asked him; strangely I wanted him to know more about me. I just hoped he wouldn't avoid me because of my mutation.

"Run from a belle chere like y'? Not likely." He told me with a chuckle.

"I can suck the life force from a person with a single touch, their memories too. If the person just so happens to be a mutant, I can take their power. I can use their power, and their memories stay imprinted in my mind. Before a year ago I had not control over it and I constantly had to cover my skin, always afraid I would accidently touch someone and hurt them." I revealed to him quietly, bracing myself for the fear and disgust I would see in his eyes and the removal of his warmth when he would wretch himself away from me out of fear.

I was surprised when he just pulled me closer, wrapping both arms around me and resting his chin on my head.

"I understand how it feels t' not b' able t' touch, fer fear of hurtin someone. I couldn' control moi mutation at first eiter, was constantly blowin tings up. I know how lonely it gets, we got a lot in common, y' and moi." He told me with a sigh, sympathy lacing his words making them sweet like honey.

Comfort spread through me and I smiled to myself, glad that he couldn't see it. My eyes widened in shock as I realized that I was sitting on the roof, with the Cajun pervert, and I was not only happy to be there but I didn't want to leave.

Eventually I did leave and made my way back towards my room; half way there I realized I never knew why Gambit was on the roof. I decided I wanted to know bad enough to go back and ask him, I heard muffled voices as I got closer, I opened the door to the roof slightly and saw Gambit throwing his arms around angrily and whispering heatedly with someone.

"Did it ever cross your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?" Gambit hissed and stepped back.

"Whether it has of hasn't is irrelevant, Lebeau, your game me your word."(QUOTE) Another voice whisper back calmly. I stepped to the side slightly, in an attempt to view the source of the other voice.

My mouth dropped open in shock as I gazed upon the man whom had been on the plane with Mystique. The man who had helped her kidnap me and who had drugged me right before my escape.

**Whoa! I think this was my longest chapter yet. I know you all probably hate me right now, such a great ROMY moment and then I go and ruin it but I promise it will all be worth it. Don't forget to review!**


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